Getting started with Software updates

I sent lot of information out about our update services the other day. I’d been researching some information for a question that I’d received at the Roadshow on Tuesday and thought I’d pass it on. I was a bit surprised actually to hear that this company had never heard of WSUS at all. Being immersed in technology here at work I naturally assume that everyone else has access to the same information. I tend to forget that this “is” my day job after all, and doesn’t have the same level of priority for other businesses. So I sent a few links out by email, then thought I’d reproduce them here too.

Getting Started with Microsoft WSUS on Windows SBS 2003
This step-by-step document tells you how to deploy WSUS on your network, including installing it on computers running Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003, configuring it to obtain updates, configuring client computers to install updates, and approving and distributing updates.

A Hands-On Guide to Hands-Off Updates with WSUS
Learn everything you need to know to install, configure, and start using WSUS to manage updates throughout your organization. This article examines the various configurations that WSUS supports and looks at the features that will help you get WSUS up and running quickly.

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services with Service Pack 1 (WSUS SP1) enables information technology administrators to deploy many of the latest Microsoft product updates published to the Microsoft Update site. By using WSUS SP1, your customers can fully manage the distribution of updates released through Microsoft Update to clients in their environments, after their testing, and on their schedule.

Maximize the Power of SMS with New Tools for Managing Updates Does your boss wants proof that updates were actually installed on every system? This article outlines the Software Update Management features in SMS 2003 and how to use these features to do controlled, phased deployments of updates to a large number of computers and prove compliance through status messages and reporting.

Managing the WSUS Automatic Updates Client Download, Install, and Reboot Behavior with Group Policy
By Bobbie Harder, Program Manager, Windows Server Update Services, Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) clients can be configured to provide update installation and reboot behavior best suited to your environment and your business needs. This article focuses on configuration options that define update notification, download, installation, and post-install reboot. It also discusses how you can use Group Policy or Local Group Policy to modify Automatic Update configuration on your WSUS clients to determine what notification, download, install, and reboot behavior your WSUS managed clients will experience in updating from WSUS.